Slot machines and other randomized gaming systems are well known in the casino industry. There are many different types of such games, with a wide variety of basic game and bonus structures. All are played by gamblers attempting to win some sort of game award, whether monetary or in-kind.
The market for gaming machines is highly adaptive and competitive. It is well known that players are attracted to gaming machines offering different, interesting, exciting, and fun concepts and games. The design of gaming machines has been approached in many directions, including offering new primary games, new secondary games, and new prizes. However, there has been little or no game design directed to entertaining the player by delivering physical incentives with nominal value that entice and encourage a player to continue play.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,899,626, discloses a machine designed to award a player a luxury item such as a diamond for selected bonus results. Other patents disclose machines and methods for delivering automobiles, show tickets, jewelry, even ice cream. Each of these prior art devices, however, places the value of the award in the award itself. In other words, the game award, such as the diamond, or the representation thereof, such as a voucher for an automobile or show ticket, has a value representing the game award and is the prize for which the player is playing.
Additionally, it is desirable to retain a player at a gaming machine. However, these types of prize awards often require the player to leave the gaming machine. In many cases, the player receives a voucher for an award. This requires the player to terminate his or her play and physically leave the gaming machine to redeem the voucher and receive his or her award. In other cases, the gaming machine issues an award that cannot be used at the gaming machine, but has a great intrinsic value, such as a diamond. The player in that case would either need to hold and protect such an award or, again, leave the gaming machine to place the award in a safe place. For example, a player may win a diamond ring, but once the ring is received, it is up to the player to keep it safe. Consequently, a player will often leave the gaming machine to take the diamond ring to the player's hotel room or to the hotel safe. The drawbacks to these types of machines, then, is that they do not retain a player at a gaming machine and, in fact, encourage a player to interrupt play and leave the gaming machine.
Thus, it can be seen that there is a need in the industry for gaming machines which entertain and occupy the interest of a player, thereby enticing the player to gamble more, and for longer periods of time.